Womb News and Research

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The womb is the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis. This is the organ in which a baby grows. Also called uterus.

Babies who are breastfed have a lower risk of developing childhood leukemia

The paper, to be published November in the journal Public Health Reports, found that breastfeeding was linked to lower risks of both acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common of the childhood cancers, and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

28 Oct 2004

As the 2004 Presidential election nears, the issue of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research is under intense debate

The United Nations, headed by Secretary General Kofi Annan is currently debating two proposals: one from Costa Rica and supported by the U.S. and sixty-two other countries that would ban all human cloning, and another from Belgium and twenty-one other countries that would allow cloning of human embryos but not their transfer to a womb.

25 Oct 2004

Male scientists typically have a level of the hormone oestrogen as high as their testosterone level

The study draws on research which suggests that these unusual hormone levels in many male scientists cause the right side of their brains, which governs spatial and analytic skills, to develop strongly.

21 Oct 2004

Anesthetics are effective in reducing the pain of circumcision in newborns

Anesthetics are effective in reducing the pain of circumcision in newborns, judging from the baby’s heart rate and time spent crying after the procedure, a new analysis finds.

18 Oct 2004

Anti-epilepsy drug sodium valproate is associated with developmental delay and lower IQ

Around five in every 1000 people will have epilepsy. One in three people with epilepsy is a woman of childbearing age, and one in every 200 women attending antenatal clinics is being treated with anti-epileptic drugs.

13 Oct 2004

Greater risk for children of mothers over 40 to die in the womb or as a newborn

Women who give birth after 40 run a greater risk of experiencing pregnancy complications than younger women. Moreover, there is an increased risk of the child dying in the womb or in close connection with delivery.

13 Oct 2004

Exposure to tobacco smoke and pollutants increases childhood risk of asthma

Children prenatally exposed to pollutants, such as motor vehicle exhaust, and postnatally exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) may be more likely to suffer from asthma and related symptoms early in life.

11 Oct 2004

Eight out of ten women take some form of therapeutic drugs during pregnancy

The advice from the British National Formulary (British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) is that all drugs should be avoided if possible during the first three months – and only prescribed at all if the benefits to the mother outweigh the risk to the foetus.

6 Oct 2004

Master gene that controls the first breath a newborn infant

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified a master gene that controls the first breath a newborn infant takes. The findings could have implications for treating premature babies and children and adults with lung disease or lung injury.

28 Sep 2004

Tiny babies may face development and behaviour problems

The long term difficulties facing Britain’s “miracle babies” are revealed by a new study following the lives of some of the tiniest infants born in this country.

22 Sep 2004

Link between mother’s stress levels during pregnancy and the effect on the brain of her unborn baby

An intriguing link between a mother’s stress levels during pregnancy and the effect on the brain of her unborn baby is revealed in a new study of children born in Bristol, England.

20 Sep 2004

New high-tech pacifier helps babies who are born prematurely

The pacifier also may reduce the incidence or severity of certain developmental disabilities that appear in early childhood and beyond as well as possibly boost IQ.

16 Sep 2004

Babies born to cocaine users fared better when cared for by people who were not their parents

Babies born to cocaine users fared better socially, emotionally and intellectually if they were cared for during their first two years by people who were not their parents, says a new study.

9 Sep 2004

Protein sources, such as beef and beans beneficial in lowering childhood leukemia risk

A new study suggests that eating more vegetables, fruit and protein before pregnancy may lower the risk of having a child who develops leukemia, the most common childhood cancer in the United States.

8 Sep 2004

Fruit and vegetables eaten before pregnancy lowers risk of leukemia

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that women who eat more vegetables, fruit and foods containing protein before pregnancy may have a lower risk of having a child who develops leukemia, the most common childhood cancer in the United States.

20 Aug 2004

Disruption of chromosome loops can lead to Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome

Babraham Institute scientists have identified chromosome ‘loops’ which have implications for healthy growth of babies in the womb.

17 Aug 2004

Boys exposed to cocaine in the womb are more likely to have behavioral problems than girls

While no specific cause of the gender-specific findings was identified, the researchers note that the study confirms animal studies that also suggest gender plays a role in the effects of cocaine exposure.

13 Aug 2004

British team and NASA plan to take stem cells into space

The $US1 million project aims to explore ways to protect astronauts from space radiation in preparation for a manned mission to Mars in 2020.

12 Aug 2004

Premature babies, better to delay where possible, to minimise brain damage

Findings from a UK-led international trial, funded by the Medical Research Council, confirm that premature babies across Europe are being delivered at the right time to save their lives, but preventing brain damage by optimising delivery time is still a challenge.

9 Aug 2004

Mothers who catch a flu during pregnancy may increase the risk of their child developing schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime — more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year.

3 Aug 2004